Germany orders 120mm MBT practice ammo

Rheinmetall has received a contract worth $28.6 million from the German Bundeswehr to supply new 120mm DM98 practice ammunition for main battle tanks, the company announced on 3 November.

This is the German Army’s first order of the new full-calibre 120mm practice ammunition.

Rheinmetall willl manufacture and deliver 10,000 rounds of DM98 ammunition, which will be delivered to Bundeswehr before the end of 2017. The company expects to receive an order for a further 3,200 cartridges at the beginning of 2018, with delivery taking place in the first quarter of the year.

Rheinmetall Waffe Munition developed the 120mm full-calibre round as a successor to the earlier DM18. Characteristics of the new cartridge include a geometry and length comparable to the DM18 and above average accuracy even at ranges exceeding 2,000m. It also features a tracer function that provides steady visibility in all light conditions.

The new round, initially known as the RH88, was qualified in 2015 for all variants of Leopard 2 main armament, with Denmark serving as the pilot customer. In 2016, it was successfully qualified with a second packaging system by the Bundeswehr and was introduced as the DM98.

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